Stucco, plaster, and similar viscous materials are typically applied to substrates such as plywood sheathing or cementitious materials. Historically, metal laths were secured to vertical substrates by nails or similar fasteners and such laths helped secure the viscous plaster and support the plaster prior to its drying and curing to form a solid surface. However, as metal lath was prone to corrosion by the alkaline plaster, thereby creating unsightly stains in the wall surface, plastic laths have become an acceptable substitute for metal.
Various plastic laths have been proposed for the application of plaster to a substrate. Plastic laths typically include a flexible planar structure that includes a plurality of openings therein for accepting the viscous materials. They are typically secured to the substrate, after which the stucco or plaster in a flowable state is applied thereto. The plurality of openings in the plastic lath enable the viscous material to seep through and make contact with the substrate, which after curing enables bonding of the plaster to the lath and to the substrate.
Although various flexible laths have been proposed, they typically do not provide the desired depth and the desired contact by the lath with the substrate to achieve proper bonding. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a plastic lath that maximizes contact of the viscous materials with the substrate and which furthermore enables the application of the proper desired depth of viscous material applied to the substrate.